Manhattan Jaspers basketball coach Steve Masiello was about to become the head coach of the University of South Florida, until a background check revealed he never got a college degree, as he claims he did on resume. Whoops. The USF opportunity was terminated, and suddenly Manhattan had to decide whether or not to keep their excellent but dishonest coach.

Now a decision has been made: Masiello will resume his head coaching duties at Manhattan upon completing the credits needed for a B.A. from the University of Kentucky. Via ESPN:

According to multiple sources, Masiello is approximately 10 credits shy — and will take classes to finish his degree in the next couple months.

“After an extensive review of the situation and extenuating circumstances, we determined that Mr. Masiello executed poor judgment but did not intentionally misrepresent himself in applying to the College. After participating in graduation ceremonies at the University of Kentucky, he enrolled in summer courses with the intention of completing his degree, but never followed through to make sure that the degree was awarded,” Manhattan president Brennan O’Donnell said in the statement.

“We appreciate the counsel of all involved in assessing this complex situation. Our policy was always that the coach must have at least a four-year undergraduate degree. We are confident that Mr. Masiello will be able to complete his degree this summer and return soon thereafter to resume his duties.”

This means that Masiello will be on unpaid leave while he takes classes. We wonder if having to support himself while going to school will help him see the whole “student-athletes not getting paid” thing in a new light. Most coaches only see this issue from their well-paid perspective.